Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-11-10
IN THE APPENNINEs.
Interesting Memories Of . Delightful JoA1.
nov to Italy.

Interesting Memories Of Delightful Je~f-
nov to Italy.
1. was at the inn at Poggibonsi that
II was offered one day for dinner adish
'of swallows rejected it with indig-
nation, which priest who was pres
ent. thought very unaccountable. as he
said they were very good to eat. I did
not dispute this, but suggested that it
would fifty fall in the line Of his cler-
ical duties to preach against the whole
sale massacre of small birds for culina-
ry purposes. which is besetting sin
of the Italians.
They are fifty punished by being
food for mosquitoes themselves. The
insects avenge the birds. In Paris the
air is singularly free from insects, be.
cause that purgatory of man is the
paradise of birds. the great asylum
where that prosecuted race finds refuge
from the merciless guns and traps OF
peasantry. In Italy all the inhabit-
ants who can do so leave the plains for
the mountains in summer, chiefly on
account of the discomfort of the mos
quitoes. But even in the mountains,
if the absence of mosquitoes make tho
nights pleasant, the days are made
miserable by swarms of flies, and the
cattle chiefly suffer, as to secure them
from flies they are shut up in dark
stables instead of being left in open
| fields.
But there is little chance of the peo-
pie learning better as long as the very
priest thinks swallows good to eat and
ignores the first principles of natural
history. In the summer of 1886 we
took refuge from the mosquitoes in o
hamlet near the central chain of the
Apennines, where the scenery was
singularly beautiful, but the accom-
mediation left much to be desired. It
is about thirty miles from Florence
and five miles from the nearest little
town where provisions can be pro-
cured.
Starting from Florence, the way lies
by the post road down the left bank of
the ArnO as far as POntassieve, and
thence, instead of turning to the right
toward Vallambrosa, follows up the
stream of the Sieve to Dichomano and
ST. Godenio. Seven miles up hill.
through chestnut woods, lead to the
church and scattered hamlet of Cas-
tagno. which is a place which Horace
would have chosen. for its abundant
shade and innumerable springs, to lie
on banks all dav and write lyric poe
try. The ancients had such exquisite
words in which to express the charms
of nature that landscape painting in
colors does not seem to have occurred
to them as purpose or pastime.
when they got into beautiful scenery,
though their descriptions show that
they thoroughly appreciated it. 1t is
from the classic Greek and Roman
that conception of the idyllic
comes. 1t is not all grand or
! beautiful scenery that is idyllic.
The sublimitics of high Alps.
/ sheer rocks, the illimitable sea, do not
belong TO it. nor any elements but
those that suggest repose and content.
Wales is idyllic rather than Switzer-
land. and in Switzerland idXllic scenes
are most abundant in the Canton Of
Appenzell. where the Sentes stands
alone as . suggestion of high Alps
ldyllic scenery may be compared to
middle-class society, with the maximum
of education and refinement SUPER
added to modesty of fortune. 1t is
the very home of the landscape paint
er, always suggesting to him that he
had better remain where he is than go
i farther and fare worse. And it suits
as well the student in whom the spir-
it Of adventure is dead or dormant
The occupations of the inhabitants are
pastoral rather than agricultural and
one of its main conditions is freedom
from fences and general accessibility.
One of the most striking natural
features of CastagnO is the mountain
architecture. The main chain and
spurs of the Apennines. as seen thence.
are composed of horizontal layers Of
sandstone, very fossiliferous in vege.
table remains, and subject to disinte.
grafton on large scale The valleys
are covered with blocks and powders.
and the stream beds, torrents in win
ter, are choked with them. The prin-
cipal waterfalls. of which there are
many, slip down flights of steps One
of these, the object of many excur-
sions. is reached by ascending the crest
of the Apennines. to spot where
walls have been built to protect tho
postroad which crosses from Florence
to Rimini from the high winds. thence
called Muraglione; and then following
| the crest for few miles and decend.
ing into most sequestered valley on
the R,magna side of the chain. 1t is
said to have furnished hints to one Of
Dante's descriptions. - Lewis s.
Weathersby. in San Francisco Chroas-
icle.
Sound and Sense.-A short time
since a canal in Scotland burst its
banks at point near Edinburgh, the